City to spend $23,000 on television show

Pensacola Mayor Ashton Hayward on Monday defended his decision to spend more than $23,000 of taxpayer money on a television show, starring himself, during an election season.

The weekly series would give viewers a behind-the-scenes glimpse into city operations, with Hayward as their guide. The show, which would cost about $23,555, would air during a nine-week period this summer on BLAB TV, ending Aug. 14 — less than two weeks before the primary election.

That timing has raised some eyebrows. Hayward's mayoral opponents seized the issue Monday, questioning whether the expenditure was an appropriate use of city resources.

"I'm not even considering this a campaign issue," Pensacola City Councilman Charles Bare said at an agenda conference Monday night. "I'm just considering the needs we have in our city."

Bare, who has filed to run against Hayward in this year's mayoral election, noted that the average starting salary for a Pensacola police officer was about $30,000.

"For $7,000 more, we could have hired a police officer," he said.

"The timing of this is very interesting," Bare added, "coming right before the primary."

Bare said he intended to raise the issue at Thursday's regular city council meeting.

In his weekly newsletter sent Monday night, the mayor shot back against his critics.

"(S)ome in the community have tried to paint this as a political effort," he said, "but they're the ones playing politics here. Television has long provided a platform for government agencies to inform and educate the public."

Donna Clark, also a candidate for mayor, echoed her opponent's sentiments, noting that Hayward had not chosen to institute such a program in his prior three years in office.

"He is using taxpayer money to benefit himself," she said, "... and it's just wrong."

Tamara Fountain, the mayor's press secretary, said the timing of the show was intentional, but innocent.

"The contract is set to end before the election because the mayor recognizes that if a new mayor is elected, he or she may not want to do a TV show," she said.

City Administrator Colleen Castille, speaking earlier in the day, also defended the mayor's actions.

"It is so obvious in this community that people don't know what the city does," she said, "and it is so important. ... It's really about letting the community know what we're doing."